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 262 APPENDIX II of this suggestion, and led their forces in a compact mass towards Poona. When they drew near its fron- tier, Raghunath Rao, who was Madhu Rao's chief agent and prime minister, got terrified at the enemy's num- bers and, finding himself unable to cope with them, retired with his master from Poona. Nawab Nizam Ali Khan Bahadur then entered the city, and spared no efforts to complete its destruction. After some time, Raghunath Rao recovered himself, and having entered into friendly communication with Januji Bhonsla and the other chiefs of his own tribe by opening an epistolary correspondence with them, he alienated the minds of these men from the Nawab. In short, the chiefs separated from the Nawab on pre- tence of the rainy season, and returned to their own territories. In the interim, Raghunath Rao and Madhu Rao set out to engage Nawab Nizam Ali Khan Baha- dur, who, deeming it expedient to proceed to his orig- inal quarters, beat a retreat from the position he was occupying. When the bank of the river Godavari be- came the site of his encampment, an order was issued for the troops to cross over. Half the army was still on this side, and half on that, when Raghunath, con- sidering it a favourable opportunity, commenced a furi- ous onslaught. The six remaining chiefs of the Na- wab 's army were slain, and about seven thousand Afghans and others acquired eternal renown by gal- lantly sacrificing their lives. After this sanguinary conflict, the Nawab hastily crossed the river and ex- tricated himself from his perilous position. As soon